Wood-splitting means



PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO STAUB, F NIGOLAUS, CALIFORNIA.

WOOD-SPLITTIN G MEANS.

Application filed December 10, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO STAUB, a citizen I of the United States, and a resident of Nicolaus, in the county of Sutter and State of California, have invented a new and Improved VVood-Splitting Means, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to wood-splitting means involving a wedge and means to drive the wedge.

The nature of the invention and its advantages will clearly appear from the specific description following.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the draw: ings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a partly sectional side elevation of a wedge and combined ax and sledge employed in carrying out my invention;

Fig. 2 is a partly sectional end view of the wedge;

Fig. 3 is a back View of the head of the combined sledge and ax.

My improved wood-splitting-means includes a metal wedge body 10 and a separate head 11 therefor of wood, said head having a tenon at the under side receivable in a mortise 12 in the top of the body 10. The numeral 14 indicates a separate wedge which is placed inverted in the mortise 12 centrally thereof, whereby with the entrance of the tenon 13 in said mortise, the wedge 14 will enter the end of the tenon spreading the same laterally. The mortise 12 is undercut or flared downwardly. The separate wedge 14: is preferably of wood so that it may the better become incorporated in the fibers of the tenon 13. The wedge head 11 has a strengthening metal band 15 about the same adjacent tothe top, and the upper surface of said top is convex as indicated at 16. On the sides of the wedge ribs 17 are formed integrally therewith, said wedge ribs merging at their upper ends into the side edges of the wedge and extending at their lower ends below the tapered front end of the wedge body, the respective ribs 17 at the opposite sides being opposite each Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 343,7 20.

other and merging into tapered points 17 beyond the body. The projecting merged ends of the ribs 17 constitute separate entering points in advance of the body 'of the wedge, that may be readily caused to enter the wood and determine the entering line of the body.

The combined ax and sledge includes a head 18 generally of ax form to be effective as a splitting tool and having a handle 19. The back surface 20 of the head 18 is concave to engage the convex top surface of the head 11 and by reason of the convexity of said surface 20, a blow of the ax when used as a sledge will result in the minimum damage to the wedge head. On the head 18 at the back in order to increase the area of the back, said back is extended rearwardly as at 21 beyond the body of the head 18. In practice the usual wedge 22 is driven into the front end of the handle 19 after its insertion in the head 18. Also, in order to Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

firmly hold the handle in the head 18, said head in the eye thereof has a convexity 241 along that wall adjacent to the back of the head, there being a corresponding longitudinal concavity 25 formed in the handle, and, if desired, the opposite longitudinal wall 26 of the eye may have a similar concavity, there being in that case a corresponding, concavity 27 in the adjacent edge of the handle.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 7 V

A wedge having longitudinal ribs on opposite sides thereof, the opposite ribs merging into each other beyond the front edge of the wedge constituting separate entering points in advance of the wedge body in the form of separate wedge-shaped members.

OTTO STAUB. 

